NPA confident of nailing Zuma

National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Shaun Abrahams believes that they will succeed in the prosecution of former president Jacob Zuma on 16 charges of racketeering‚ money laundering‚ fraud and corruption in relation to the multi-billion rand arms deal.

On Friday‚ Abrahams announced that Zuma will soon have his day in court – a decade-and-a-half since the NPA began investigating the former president.

Former president Jacob Zuma.PICTURE: ESA ALEXANDER/THE TIMES

“After consideration of the matter‚ I am of the view that there are reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution of Mr Zuma on the charges listed in the indictment served on Mr Zuma‚” he said.

Now that the decision is made‚ Abrahams announced that the director of public prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal‚ Advocate Moipone Noko‚ will facilitate when Zuma will appear in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court.

“On the facts of this matter and in the interest of transparency‚ interest of the administration of justice and the administration of the National Prosecuting Authority‚ I am of the view that a trial court would be the most appropriate forum for these issues to be ventilated and to be decided upon‚” Abrahams said.

Zuma was told earlier on Friday of the decision to reinstate the charges first served on him in 2007 in a multi-billion rand‚ allegedly corrupt‚ deal.

As part of the indictment‚ Zuma would be accused number one while French company Thint will also face charges.

When announcing his decision‚ Abrahams described the case as “long‚ litigious and unending”.

After the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled last October that the decision by former acting NDPP Moketedi Mpshe to withdraw charges against Zuma in 2009 was unlawful and irrational‚ Zuma asked to make new representations to the NPA on the matter.

Abrahams said Zuma’s representations made to him in January this year on the charges following a ruling by the supreme court of appeal were unsuccessful.

“Mr Zuma’s representations‚ broadly speaking‚ largely relate to allegations of a prosecution characterised by prosecutorial manipulation‚ impropriety‚ fair trial abuses‚ prosecutorial misconduct deliberate leaking of information to the media and irrational decisions made by various National Directors and/ or acting national directors‚ along with inexplicable delays for approximately 15 years in bringing his matter to trial‚” he said.

Abrahams further noted that “justice must not only be done but also seen to be done”.

Zuma was told earlier on Friday of the decision to reinstate the charges against him‚ and that Noko would inform him of when he would have to appear in court.

A team of five top prosecutors‚ led by Noko‚ would take charge of the prosecution against the former president.

While the NPA readies for the case to be heard before the High Court in KwaZulu-Natal‚ it faces court action in the Western Cape High Court by an NGO who has asked the court for a permanent stay of Zuma’s prosecution.

Abrahams has been cited as a respondent and will oppose the application.